Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
